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Google Play Music launched in india with all access just at Rs 89

Google just launched its Play Music Unlimited service in India, which lets you stream tunes on demand and also enjoy radio stations based on artists and songs you like.

Now all musical services, which is identical to the All Access offering that costs $9.99 a month in the US, is priced at Rs. 89 ($1.4) per month in India. That’s cheaper than Apple Music’s Rs. 120 ($1.85) asking price, as well as local ones like Gaana and Saavn, which start at Rs. 99 ($1.5); however, it’s worth noting that the difference in cost is minimal and will likely not greatly influence subscribers’ decision on which one to go with. The Economic Times notes that after 45 days, Play Music’s subscription fee will go up to Rs. 99 ($1.5).

It took Google over six months, but All Access is now going live in the country. The best part about the service is that it costs just ₹89 per month ($1.4), an absolute steal when you consider the fact that you get unlimited access to Play Music's vast catalog. Google isoffering a 30 -day trial, and there is no reason whatsoever to not try out the service right now.Google’s offering takes advantage of machine learning and location + activity data to surface music that it thinks you’ll enjoy based on what you’re up to: driving to work, heading to the gym or getting ready to ease into the day.

It also offers free cloud storage so you can upload 50,000 of your own tracks and stream them just like you would any other track in its library. That’s handy if you have a collection of tunes from indie artists who aren’t yet on Google’s platform.Plus, all the intelligent mixes that the app served up only included Indian music, and even setting my language preference to ‘Western’ didn’t affect the mixes that surfaced. Sorry Google, but I’m not looking to fire up Bhojpuri driving music during my commute. Hopefully that will be addressed in a future update.

With all access now live in the country, Google is going after Apple and entrenched players like Saavn. Apple Music has been available in the country for well over a year now, and while it works fine on Android devices, it hasn't picked up a lot of momentum. But with Android boasting a dominant 97% market share in the country, it will be significantly easier for Google to market All Access. The service works both on Android as well as the web, and you have the ability to download tracks for offline listening, a key requirement in India.

By pricing All Access as low as ₹89, Google is basically undercutting everyone. Music piracy is systemic in the country, and Google finally has a chance to make a difference. The ubiquity of Android combined with Google's marketing muscle and All Access' low pricing puts the company in a great position to entice customers to pay up for the streaming service.

However, there are a couple of limitations. Play Music doesn’t have a podcast section like the one available to users in the US and Canadasince last April; I managed to find episodes ofThis American Life, but they were listed as tracks by an eponymous artist.